Process of producing gelatin forms or molds.



110.8691511V v PATENTBD 0101.29. 19071,' A. LEUGHTER.

PROCESS 0F PRODUGING GBLATINFORMS 0R MOLDS.

APPLICATION 191111313111113.2:1.1905.A

TTURNEY rm: NoRRls Fs'rslzs ce., wnsHINcroN, D. c4

AUGUST LEUOHTER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.l

PROCESS OF PRODUCING GELATIN FORMS OR MOLDS.

Speeieation or" Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1907.

Application filed February 23', 1905. Serial No. 246,900.

To all whom it may concern:

e it known that I, AUGUST LnUcH'rER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident oi Brooklyn, in the county ol' Kings and State oi New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Producing Gelatin Forms or Molds, oi which the following is a speeiiicatioir 'lhe invention relates to improvements iii methods of producing forms or molds in gelatin or other suitable material in reproduction oi original models o r articles, the said forms or molds being utilized in the manufacture oi molds in plaster or other soit mold-material ior use, in the customary way, in the iinal production oi the articles represented by'the gelatin forms or molds.

It is common in the art to produce gelatin i'orms or molds from and in the exact size oi original models or 4 designs and to utilize these iornis or molds in the making, [rom them, ol' molds in plaster or other soit mold material.

h'ly invention resides in methods of procedure by which I am enabled to produce gelatin forms or molds in proportionately reduced size from an original' model or article and to vary this reduction as may be required, whereby with the use ol one original model or design to be copied I am enabled to produce a gelatin form or mold exactly representing such model or article on a reduced scale, and whereby also ii a still further reduction is required I am enabled to reproduce in the gelatin composition this iirst iorm oi' mold and obtain a reduction oi' it, and so on.

I prepare the gelatin composition Alor the form or mold in a special way and first produce this 'iorm in the exact size ol' the original article or model to be copied, and then I submit this iorm to a special bath whereby it is proportionately reduced in size. Ii a further reduction is desired I make another gelatin iorm or mold iroin the thus reduced lirst forni and then subject it to the reducing bath whereby I obtain a second proportionate reduction from the original model or article, and I may secure a third and then a fourth reduction, and so on, in the saine way.

My invention has a wide application, but its utility may be appreciated in connection with the manufactuie oi ornamental bands or ligures ior sets oi silverware, the different pieces of a set requiring the saine design but on a reduced scale, and also in connection with the manufacture oi silver spoons in which the saine design must appear on at least three sizes oi spoons, towit: the table-spoon, dessert-spoon and tea-spoon. In accordance with my invention it is only necessary in the iirst instance to provide a model ol'Y the table-spoon, since lroni this one model I can produce three gelatin orms or molds o'i the exact size ier the table, dessert and tea spoons, each et' the two latter bearing the exact design ol" the original model proportionately reduced. The first gelatin i'orm or mold I would produce from the model if intended for table-spoons would be made in the ordinary way and would not necessarily involve the use of my invention, since my invention comprises the production olf the forms or moldson reduced scales from the original. Hence in carrying out my invention, aside from preparing the special gelatin form or mold to be used for table-spoons, I produce from said model a gelatin iorm or mold of the size of the table spoon but intended for dessert spoons, and I subject this form or mold to my reducing bath whereby it becomes proportionately reduced in size and to the requirements for dessert spoons. This reduced gelatin form may new be utilized inthe proper way as an original model from which (byforniingaplaster casing there- `ol' and casting therefrom) a i'urther gelatin form or mold may be prepared, and which when prepared will be subjected to the bath and reduced to the proper size for a tea-spoon. Thus from the one original model I am enabled to produce forms or molds for table, dessert and tea spoons, whereby the expense oi producing a special original model for each ol' these sizes of spoons is avoided.

In many instances several of the gelatin forms or molds, all of the same size, may be produced from the one original model and variously reduced in accordance with the length oi time they are permitted to remain in the reducing bath, but there is a limit to which a form or mold may be properly reduced and hence Where excessive reductions are desired, as Yfrom a table-spoon size to a teasspoon size, I iirst reduce the table-spoon i'orm or mold to the proper size for a dessert spoon and from this prepare a second orm or mold and reduce it to the tea-spoon size.

My process carried out in the natural way will produce exact proportionate reductions, but there are instances in which some modifications of the modeling are desirable and these may be readily produced, with simple manipulation, while Carrying out my invention, it being convenient with my invention to reduce the height of the elevations oi a design without reducing the area ofthe design, and also convenient to distort the outline oi a design either laterally or longitudinally. These modifications in design are sometimes desirable in, ier illustration, a silver service so that there may not be too great an exactncss oi reproduction in the several pieces of the service, and such modiiications are also desirable in a set of spoons, so that the spoons of different sizes may not be all of exactly the saine proportionate shape. In the case of many other articles the preservation of proportionate shapes in the reductions is absolutely essential, as ior instance in the production oi medallions of the human face, Statuary, etc., and this result is accomplished naturally and in the regular practice of my invention.

My invention is based on the principle ot' incorporating a large amount of water into the gelatin solution I use for the'orms or molds, and in thereafter compelling the forms or' molds to yield up the excess of water and become proportionately reduced in size, this second step being accomplished by simply allowing the gelatin forms or' molds to lie submerged a suitable length ot time in my reducing bath.

l illustrate in the accompanying drawings, as near'ly as may be, my invention, Figure l being a top view ol' the lower halt or' section oi a casing in plaster' or other suitable material bearing a model prepared in exact size from an original article intended to be copied and reduced, the article in this instance having been a representation oi the 'head ol' a horse; Fig. 2 a vertical section through the two sections ol' said casing on the dotted line 2-2 ot Fig. l and showing the gelatin torni cast therein; Fig. 3 a like section ot said gelatin orm aiter it has been removed trom the casing and reduced in and by the reducing bath, and Fig. 4 a top view of same.

In the drawings, lO, ll respectively denote the upper' and lower sections of the casing ot plaster or other suitable material prepared from an original article, l2 the gelatin iorm cast therein in exact size ol the said original article, and l-t the same r'orm alter having been reduced in and by the reducing bath.

ln preparing the gelatin solution l prefer to employ about one part oi dry gelatin to frve parts ol water. is desir'able to embody as much water as possible in the solution, since by reason thereof-the greatest r'eduction, at one operation, oi the ior'm or' mold may be accomplished in the bath. lt is essential, however, that the reduced term or mold shall have a reasonably hrm and elastic body, especially where undercut modeling is involved or' when it is desired to stretch or press the reduced form or nrold or a par't thereof out o its normal proportionate reduced dimensions, and hence too great an excess ol water should not be incor'- porated in the solution but in each instance as large an amount oi water as may be consistent with the degree oi reduction desired at each oper'ation and the production of a reasonably tirin form or mold, should enter into the solution. One effect oi the reducing bath is the creating in the gelatin form or mold both firmness and elasticity and the capability ot being stretched within reasonable requirements. rl`he gelatin solution employed by me thus ditter's from other' gelatin solutions only in the tact that l incorporate a large proportion of water in the same, with the definite purpose oi' removing this water from the form or mold to accomplish the pr'opor'tionate r'eduction ol the latter. The gelatin lorm orirnold aiter leaving the bath differs however h'orn other' gelatin forms or molds due to the characteristics imparted to it by the bath.

The reducing bath into which l submerge the gelatin :forms or molds is a strong alkali solution capable ot evenly and proportionately reducing the gelatin forms or molds, except when the contraction o the latter is intluenced mechanically as herein-alter explained, and by preference this bath is a silicate or waterglass solutiorrot about thirty-six degrees (Baume hydr'ometer), this being a heavy and strong alkali solution. The gelatin forms or molds when composed ot about one part of dry gelatin to tive parts ot water will, when allowed to remain about six or' eight lrour's in the bath, contract from three-sixteenths to one-quarter inch per inch o form or mold. When a greater proportion ot water` is incorporated inthe gelatin i'orm or' mold, a greater contraction thereof in the bath will naturally take pla-ee, and the proportion oi water employed will depend somewhatupon the nature ot' the mold and the reduction desired. here the gelatin torni or mold may be taken ott from the original model or pattern with ease, it is possible to increase the amount o1' water in the gelatin solution from tive to seven parts. No matter' how weak a gelatin form or mold may appear before subjecting it to the reducing bath it will, ai'ter removal from the bath.y be lound to have changed vtry materially and to have become very elastic. strong and pliable. and capable oi being easily forced, when desired, out ol its natural and prop )rtimrately correct educed lorm into irregular' and special shapes, thereby rer'y greatly increasing the tield ol application ol this recess.

Having prepared the gelatin solution and also the reducing bath, the process ol creating the gelatin torms or molds and then reducing them nray be proceeded with. The tirst step necessary is in performing the usual preliminary work el' making the plaster molds or casings to surround the models or designs to be copied and into which the gelatin solution is pour'ed to till the space between the inner wall ot the plaster casing and the suriace ot' the model or' design to be reproduced, and l need not specifically describe the method oi' preparing these plaster' molds or casings, since l l'ollow the ordinary methods in use in taking an elastic or' glue mold from a model or pattern. I may say, however, that care should be taken in preparing the plaster' nrold or casing with the view of having the space between the inner wall of the casing and the lace ol the model or' pattern oi' as nearly uniform diameter' as nray be consistently possible, so that the gelatin l'orm or mold when removed trom the model or pattern may be as nearly as possible of uniform thickness.

Having prepared the plaster casing l proceed at once in the ordinary way of pouring the gelatin solution, as prepared by me, into the said casing, and thereafter, at the proper time, remove the casing and strip the gelatin form or mold from the model or pattern. The gelatin form or mold thus produced is immersed into the reducing bath and allowed to remain until the desired reduction in its size has taken place or until all of the reduction that eau well take place in one operation has occurred. The action ot the bath on the gelatin lorm or` nrold nray be observed and when the lorm or nrold has become reduced to the desired size it may be r'emoved from the bath. l will assume that the gelatin form or' mold has been allowed to r'enrain a proper length ot time in the bath and has become reduced to just the desired size for use. At this time the gelatin form or nrold is immediately taken l'r'om the bath and quickly rinsed with cold water and dried, by means of blotting paper tor illustration, whereupon l proceed to treat the gelatin form or rnold so that it may become indifferent to both moisture and warmth. Prior' to this treatment the gelatin form or mold is not in a state to copy trom since moisture would cause it to swell and become distorted and warmth would seiten or nrelt it. l, therefore, proceed to at once treat the gelatin form or mold so that a cast in plaster or' other' sott mold material may be taken from it, and this treatment consists in lirst raek brushing over the gelatin form or mold, with a soft brush, a limited quantity of formaldehyde of about forty per cent'strength, and then, at intervals of about five minutes each, applying a second and then a third coating of the formaldehyde. It is essential on the first application of the formaldehyde that the latter be sparingly used, as the same is a fluid and might affect the reduced form or mold. The formaldehyde immediately begins to harden up the form or mold and finally transforms the soft flexible andy springy material to a hard and brittle mass not capable of changing its previously assumed shape and quite indifferent to moisture or Warmth, so that a plaster cast or even a Wax or other soft mold may be taken from it. The gelatin form or mold becomes affected by the bath and after leaving the bath the gelatin-silicate substance of which the reduced form or mold then consists, while being soft, flexible and springy possesses considerable tensile strength and may be stretched within limits to distort its proportiointte reduced shape if so desired. 'l`he reduced mold or form preserves every bit of the surface modelation, even to the finest detail of a chased pattern, and Without the least distortion, the reduced form or mold possessing identically the form of and all of the modelation on the original article on a pi'oportionately reduced scale.

Having removed the gelatin form or mold from the bath and transformed it into a hard and brittle condition, a plaster cast or other soft mold may be taken from it in the ordinary Way, and this will end one method of carrying out my invention, since the essential feature accomplished by my invention is the production of the reduced forms or molds in condition for use in preparing therefrom the plaster casts or other soft molds. There are, however, several modifications which may be followed with advantage in'carrying out my invention in its Wider application. In my reducing process I often use a positive 'form of my reducing substance instead of a negative form or mold, more especially when a pattern is not undercut or is only slightly so and a cast in plaster or sulfur may be readily taken from it. After producing the negative form or mold and When I desire to use a positive instead of a negative, I take the cast from my negative, in the usual way, With the result that I obtain a positive form or an exact duplicate of the original mold or pattern in my reducing substance. It is a matter of judgment when to use the positive and when to use the negative form, but in both methods excellent results are secured.

lf it should happen that the gelatin form or mold after remaining in the bath as long as it should stay there has not become reduced to the extent itis desired, this being in a case Where an excessive reduction is required, I remove the form or mold from the bath and treat it with the formaldehyde as above-described, and take a plaster cast from it and then make a new gelatin form or mold from this reduced form and subject it to the reducing bath, whereby I may obtain a form or mold in exact reproduction, on a reduced scale, of the original model or design, but more greatly reduced than any reduction could take place in one operation of the bath. In carrying out this method of procedure, l now have one Yform or mold representing one. reduction and a second form or mold representing a still greater reduction, and it is obvious that I may repeat the operation until I obtain the several sizes of forms or molds I may desire or the final small size of mold that I require. This operation ot' securing the several reductions involves simply a repetition of the operation of securing one reduction.

lf it is found that a mold has been reduced to too great an extent in the reducing bath, it may be easily corrected by placing it in a bath of plain cold Water and allowing it to swell to the size required, whereupon it will be treated with the formaldehyde and made ready for the casting operation.

In the natural reducing process carried on in the bath the gelatin form or mold Will be proportionately reduced in size, and since this may not always be desired, l should explain that the character of reduction may be controlled in some Ways by mechanical manipulation. 'lhere might be an instance in which a design possessing a bold and high modeling may be rcquired for certain articles in a silver service and that thesame design and covering the same area but with shallmver and more delicate modelingl maybe required for other articles of the service, and in such instance I would prepare the gelatin forms or molds from the original model or pattern showing the bold modeling in the manner above described and then by mechanical m'eans prevent the lateral and longitudinal shrinkage of the same in the bath and lallow only a vertical reduction in the form or mold; in this way only a vertical reduction of the gelatin form or mold can take vplace and no lateral or longitudinal contraction can occur, and the result will be the gradual changing from a bold and high to a shallow and low modeling Without altering the area of the pattern at all. ln carrying out this method of utilizing my process, I would clamp the gelatin form or mold in an open frame, the edges of the frame binding against the edges of the gelatin form or mold so as to prevent the latter, While in the bath, from contracting either laterally or longitudinally. After this form or mold, held by the clampframe, is removed from the reducing bath it must be treated With the hardening fiuid before being released from the frame, after which the form or mold Will present the same size of pattern as the original model but of low modeling. There are various other ways of mechanically manipulating the gelatin form or mold so as to obtain varied results due to controlling the contracting action of the bath.

Various other Ways of manipulating the gelatin form or mold and the reduced form or mold may be resorted to in obtaining casts presenting more or less irregularities of form from the original model or design. In the case of preparing from one original model or design the several sizes of forms or molds for a set of tea-spoons, it is desirable that the several sizes of spoons should not all possess the same identical form and outlines, and in this instance the reduced forms or molds may be either stretched or compressed either laterally or longitudinally, to vary the general outline of the pattern, and held Vin their distorted position While being subjected to the hardening action of the formaldehyde. For instance the reduced form or mold for a tea-spoon might be stretched longitudinally or laterally or longitudinally in one part and laterally in another part and held in the distorted condition until the substance has become hardened by the formaldehyde,

iro

after which the mass then being hard and set may be at once utilized in the production ot the proper casts.

There are thus many Ways oi utilizing the present invention. It the process is followed along its natural course Without special manipulation the reductions will all be proportionate, and Where proportionate reductions are not desired the gelatin forms or molds, either while in the bath or after leaving the bath and before becoming hardened, will be subjected to such manipulation as may be required to attain the desired end. There are many instances in which the exact proportionate reductions are absolutely essential.

It is to be understood that l do not limit my invention to the use ol any special gelatin substance, sinec by the terni gelatin I mean to include all appropriate substances oi a gelatin characterA What l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent7 is:-

l. 'lhe process ol producingl gelatin or like forms or molds on a reduced scalo from an original model, which consists in incorporating a large proportion ot' liquid in the gelatin or like solution and therewith making the l`or1u or mold from the model. then subjecting the torni or mold thus produced to the action of a silicate or Waterglass bath l'or ett'ecting a contraction ot' the same, and then hardening the thus reduced lform or mold; substantialy as set l'orth.

2. 'l'he process ot producing gelatin or like forms or molds on a reduced scale from an original model, which consists in incorporatingl a large proportion ot' liquid in the gelatin or like solution and therewith making the i'orm o mold from the model, and then subjecting the l'orm or mold thus produced to the action oi an alkaline bath adapted to ellect a contraction ol the same; substantially as set forth.

J. 'lhe process or producing gelatin or like forms or molds on a ,reduced scale from an original model, which consi, s in incorporating a large proportion ot liquid in the gelatin or like solution and therewith making the lorm or mold trom the model, then subjecting the forni or mold thus produced to the action ot an alkaline bath l'or etle 1g a contrat-,tion ot' the same, and then hardening the thus reduced iorm or mold; substantially as set forth.

`l. The process of producing gelatin or like forms or molds on a reduced scale from an original model, which consists in incorporating a large proportion of Aliquid in the gelatin or like solution and therewith making the term or mold from the model, then subjecting the form or mold thus produced to the action of a silicate or water'- glass hath for el't'ecting a contraction of the same, and then hardening the thus reduced form or mold by the application ol formaldehyde thereto; substantially as set forth.

3. The process of producingT gelatin or like forms 01' molds on a reduced scale from an original modely which consists in incorporating a large proportion of liquid in the gelatin or like solution and therewith making the l'orm or mold from the model. then subjecting' the l'orm or mold thus produced to the action oi an alkaline bath for ellecting a contraction ol the same, and then hardening the thus reduced l'orm or mold by the application of formaldehyde thereto; substantially as set forth.

(i. The process ol producingl gelatin or like forms or molds on a reduced scale from an original model, which consists in incorporating a large proportion ot' liquid in the gelatin or like solution and therewith making the torm or mold l'rom the model, and then subjecting the ferm or mold thus produced to the action of a silicate or waterglass bath tor etlecting a proportionate contraction otthe same; substantially as set forth.

T. 'lhe process ol producingl gelatin or like forms 0r molds from a model, which consists in making the form or mold with a gelatin solution trom the model, subjecting the torm or mold thus produced to a silicate or waterglass hath, and then hardening the same; substantially as set forthA R. The process of producing gelatin or like forms or molds trom a. model, which consists in making the form 0r mold with a gelatin solution trom the model, subjecting the toi-in or mold thus produced to a silicate or waterglass hath. and then hardening the same by the application et' formaldehyde thereto; substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York city in the county and State of New York this lst day of February A. D. 1905.

AUGUST LEUCHTER.

Witnesses Airrntfn MARION, Unas. C. GILL. 

